NYC-WTC_000230630

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

NEWSDAY, FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 2001

Everybody 1

In the Pool Ride-sharing strongly urged as traffic woes predicted today By Martin C. Evans ' • of three Manhattan-bound cars arrive * STAFF WRITER with a single occupant , Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said com­ - Under the restrictions, in effect muters caught a break from the Yom weekdays from 6 a.m. until noon, cars Kippur holiday, and can expect traffic cannot cross into Manhattan south of to be significantly worse today. the Triborough and George Washing-; “We expect tomorrow to be a crowd­ ton bridges unless they have at least' ed day, so you can make life easier for two occupants. The Lincoln Tunnel joins the carpool-only plan today. us and for yourself by using public Government and commercial vehi­ transportation,’ the mayor said. cles, cars carrying emergency medical Giuliani’s experiment with mandato­ personnel, taxis and livery cars, motor­ ry carpooling at mid- and lowef-Man- cycles and cars with permits for the hattan river crossings seemed virtual­ disabled are exempt from the ban. ly flawless, with shorter-than-usual de­ Many motorists took up the city’s j lays throughout most of the day. offer for free parking at a 4.,000-space Motorists determined to beat the park-and-ride lot at Shea Stadium. ' new carpool-only 6 a.m. curfew idled Parking will cost $2 after today. in predawn traffic for as long as an Tom, Bruen, 45, a carpenter who hour at the Qveensboro Bridge yester­ lives in Queens and works in Manhat- ' day. By the 8 a.m. rush-hour peak, traf- tan, drove to the lot, then took the No. - fic was moving at an almost delightful­ 7 train to and from work. “It should , ly brisk pace almost everywhere in the have been done a long time ago,” he city. said. Today, though, is expected to be a Ralph Barone, 45, of Ronkonkoma,. different story altogether. Checkpoints used ' the park-and-ride lot even at bridges and tunnels, set up by police though his job is in the Queens-side ■ and the FBI in the wake of the Sept. shadow of the Queensboro Bridge. 11 Twin Tower attacks, will remain in­ With free parking and a subway at definitely, the mayor said. his - disposal, would he fight the “I don’t think anything is' perma- bridge-bound traffic for the right to ‘ nent,” the mayor said. “But I think it’ll drive to work? No way. be for awhile.” .“I could be three blocks from work I WTiile the legality of the checkpoints and it would take an hour to get ; have “not yet” been challenged, there,” he said. Giuliani said he expected they will be. The mayor also announced that Tuesday, heightened scrutiny of $250 million in small business loans — trucks ■ and other vehicles' at check­ $26 million each in city and state dol­ points spawned massive tie-ups that lars and $200 million from private went on for hours on major arteries banks — has been made available to- and even side streets in Queens, Man- help companies'hurt by the devasta­ l hattan, Brooklyn and Nassau County. tion. Loans will be processed within > I Wednesday, Giuliani announced the three days to help businesses get back I carpool-only restriction in hopes it on their feet quickly, the mayor said. 1 would reduce future checkppint-relat- Special correspondent Tania E. \ ed delays. On a typical weekday, two Lopez contributed to this story.

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NYC-WTC_000230630